


hazy shade of autumn

by PersonalityTest



Category: Sword Art Online (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fluff, M/M, Post-Alicization, eugeo isn't dead and I will fight kawahara until he brings him back idgaf about the plot, kirito is a dumbass but it's ok so am i, so many layers of subtext you'll sweat to death, well mostly
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-16
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-06 12:34:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18851179
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PersonalityTest/pseuds/PersonalityTest
Summary: There was something about August that always made him weary, until it didn't. On an August morning, a familiar face at Kirito's doorstep turned his life upside down. AU.





	hazy shade of autumn

**Author's Note:**

> So, uh, there were three reasons for this thing. First, my other SAO fic, [The Art Of Letting Go](https://archiveofourown.org/works/18685561) was sad. Well, the last chapter, the main reason I wrote it, won't be as much, but we're still a bit away from that. That one was first person, multi-chapter, platonic and full of angst, so this time I at least wanted to write something completely opposite. Second, I've never actually written a real pairing, so I at least wanted to try it out. 
> 
> Third and finally, for those who read Accel World, the name 'Azure Heir' might ring a bell for you. The one who invited him into the Brain Burst game was Graphite Edge, whose signature moves included Vorpal Strike, Starburst Stream, and The Elucidator. Sounds familiar? I've read Volume 7 and while I don't actually believe Eugeo is Azure Heir, just like how I don't think Kirito is Graphite Edge, since it's implied that Azure Heir had connections with the royal family of Japan, I took that plot point and ran away with it. LET ME DREAM DAMMIT I want Eugeo back and I will do literally anything
> 
> One more thing, it turns out that royal family members are the only ones who wouldn't have a last name in modern day Japan. Other exceptions are rare cases of foreigners from certain countries, like Indonesia. In other words, not having a last name will definitely attract attention. The naming process for Japanese royals is more complicated, but I'll simplify it for the purpose of this fic.

There was something about August that always made him weary.

The eighth month of the year. The end of summer vacation, and worst of all, this was his last one before college. The start of cool autumn air and switching to long-sleeved shirts for the next half year. The beginning of another rigorous semester. The weather’s last ditch attempt to shower as much rain as possible on unsuspecting, suffering students on their way to cram school, making the air humid and damp nearly all the time. Et cetera, et cetera.

“…Really is the worst.” Sighing, Kirito lazily stirred his coffee while looking out the window at the pitter-pattering rain. It made him feel silly to be complaining about something so trivial like a grumpy old man, but it was not Kirito’s fault the month sucked.

“It’s Obon today, too…” He glanced at the calendar on the dining table. August 15th. Kirito liked watching the fireworks from his balcony, but that was about it. Back when he had been a child, he had naively thought that he could meet his parents again on this day, and had been so excited he had not been able to sleep. It sounded silly now that he thought about it.

The doorbell rang.

“Sugu…” Kirito made a noise he would never admit was a pathetic whine. “Open the door for me, would you?”

Said sister, who had her feet on the coffee table in the living room and looked about as lazy as he felt, threw him a resentful glare. Kirito ignored it and continued to smush his face on the table. Since there was clearly no use getting him to do anything, Suguha finally sighed, got up and walked to the door.

“That’s my sister for you…”

“Kirigaya Residence.” He heard her say from afar, but his brain was about half-tuned out at this point. Pitter-patter. Pitter-patter, went the rain on the windowsill. He wished this rain would stop already. “Can I help you?”

“Um…” Another voice, a young man’s, replied. He knew this voice from somewhere, he was sure of it. Kirito racked his addled brain to put a name to the voice as it continued. “Is there a Kiri- Kirigaya…Kazuto here?”

That voice.

He knew whose voice it was.

Faster than he thought possible, Kirito got up and sprinted to the door. He heard the chair clatter to the ground, startling Sugu and the other boy, but it did not matter. He must be dreaming. Maybe it was a ghost that came back to the living on Obon, as silly as it sounded. The dreariness of August must have finally driven him mad. But, however, if there were the slightest chance that he wasn’t –

“What the…onii-chan!?” Sugu exclaimed. He did not have the capacity to answer her. He had lost the capacity to process anything that was not the boy in front of him.

Soft, flaxen hair slightly wet from the rain. A simple blue T-shirt under a white jacket, black trousers and sneakers, an outfit that would not look at all out of place on a normal teenaged boy, on a frame that was thinner than he remembered. Skin that was no doubt flesh and blood. And most of all, sparkling green eyes that were smiling brightly at the sight of him.

“Sorry I’m late, Kirito.” The boy said in a gentle voice, a voice so nostalgic that nearly drove him to tears. “I’m back.”

 

* * *

 

This coffee shop was two blocks away from his home, and he often came here when he was bored, or needed a change of pace. It did not have many customers, and the staff generally just left Kirito to his own devices. As long as he bought something every few hours, nobody paid him any mind, which was just fine with him.

They would have gone to Agil’s, but his place was quite a ways away and Kirito was not sure he could even move properly at that point. They had borrowed an umbrella from Eugeo’s escort – escort!? – ran here as fast as they could, and now they were sitting at a table near the windows, watching the rain outside, while Kirito tried to process everything that was happening.

This was no good. He still didn’t understand anything at all. “Run it by me again.”

Eugeo looked at him the way one would look at a particularly brainless single-celled organism, but sighed and repeated. “What I’m saying is, I’m just like you. A person from the Real World.”

But how? At his unvoiced question, Eugeo continued.

Roughly six months ago, Eugeo had gotten into a car accident and become comatose. He had been able to receive treatment in the Medicuboid right away, but his brain activity never recovered, and he had virtually been in a vegetative state. Around three months ago, his father, a distant member of the Imperial Family – Kirito decided to table _that_ conversation for later, though that explained the escort – had heard about RATH’s project and the potential for a cure from an acquaintance, and had arranged for Eugeo to be put into Underworld for treatment.

_In other words, he had come to Underworld in the same circumstances as me._

“However, since I was not authorized to be in Underworld in the first place, my Fluctlight was put into the Lightcube Cluster to give me the same restrictions as an Underworld citizen – though I was later told that one restriction, the Seal of the Right Eye, was not supposed to exist. My memories were blocked to protect the integrity of the experiment, and they put me in a remote village to minimize the risk of danger to my Fluctlight as I underwent treatment. Not that it worked in the end…” He smiled lightly at this. “Does it make sense so far?”

“No, not at all. I think I’ve finally gone mad.” Kirito told him honestly. Eugeo rolled his eyes.

The waitress came with their orders. Coffee for him, and Earl Grey for Eugeo. On instinct, Kirito handed him two creams and one sugar. Eugeo generally liked his drinks sweet, and he could never stomach black coffee, judging from the baleful glare he was giving Kirito’s cup. Just as naturally, Eugeo took the cream and sugar, nodded in thanks, and began stirring them into his cup. It was almost comforting to know that their routine still did not change even with all the craziness that was threatening to implode in his brain.

“Well, anyway, after I, well, died, my soul was deallocated from the Cluster. I imagine it was quite a shock to the doctors treating me, and I heard it took several technicians working overtime to restore my Fluctlight before it collapsed. I am greatly indebted to them. However, I was not able to wake up. My Fluctlight was in a death-like state, and I generally do not have much recollection of what happened up until a certain incident with the FLA rate caused my STL to disconnect automatically and my brain activity had luckily recovered enough to resume as normal. Once I regained my memories, I thought you must have been a tester, so I asked around RATH for your information. A lot of it was down to luck, really…but here I am.”

A fantastical story.

There was no other way to say it.

He might as well start from the beginning, or otherwise he would go mad at this rate.

“Then, you are…”

Eugeo started tugging at his hair, the way he often did when he was nervous. “My name is Eugeo. …No last name. Due to my poor health, I have been homeschooled all my life. Technically, I am part of the Imperial Family, though I’m not really in the line of succession. I’ve thought about leaving the family, but it’s not like I have anywhere else to go. …But, well, that’s about it. It’s nice to meet you again, Kirito…or would you prefer Kazuto?” Eugeo hesitantly held out a hand.

Too warm, Kirito thought as he firmly grasped the other boy’s hand. It was too real, and yet it could not be real. It could not be real because this, this was beyond anything he could have dreamed of.

“…I see. Kirito is fine.” Kirito forced his voice to be as casual as he could muster. “Then, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. …Eugeo. Your Imperial Highness. Do people call you that?”

“Well, not really.” The blond boy laughed, his shoulders relaxing for the tiniest bit. “Generally people I don’t know. But you, I’d much rather you just called me by name. …Kirito.”

Something about the way he said it was strange. Something that had not been there in all the time that they had been together. The gentle smile stayed the same, and those were the same kind eyes he remembered from all those years in Underworld, but there was a light in Eugeo’s eyes that was somehow…different. More.

Their hands were still intertwined. Kirito swallowed and averted his eyes.

“…Eugeo it is, then.”

 

* * *

 

Kirito would admit this to another person over his dead body, but after that he held on to Eugeo's hands and started sobbing without fully knowing why. Eugeo, too, firmly held on while trying to blink tears away from his eyes. 

"...Sorry about that." Kirito said a while later, his voice still a little cracked. Eugeo's hands were still warm in his.

"It's okay. I understand." His voice was gentle. It reminded him too much of their time in Underworld, he could not help the fresh tears that spilled from his eyes. “No, don’t cry. It’s okay. I’m here.”

“Yeah.” Kirito said, his voice teary but relieved. “You are. Eugeo, I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, I never should have let you die, I should have been the one to – “

“Don’t say that.” Eugeo’s voice turned firm. “You’re alive. I don’t regret it, and I would have done it again. And Kirito?”

“…Yeah?”

Eugeo took a deep breath.

“You were always like that, in Underworld.” He said, his voice cracking. “I understand now why you took your life so lightly, because you believed you would just wake up if you died. But now that we’re both here, I need you to promise me something.”

“O-Of course. Anything.”

“Never say that again. If you ever cared for me at all, if you want me to be happy, you’ll never say that ever again. You hear me?”

There was something about that voice that unnerved him. There was no doubt that Eugeo had become stronger after everything they had gone through, and his resolve more firm. However, this seemed a shade deeper. It was a grander sort of promise, like the kind of promise he made with Asuna. The thought made him feel hesitant, but Eugeo was waiting for his reply.

“…Yeah. I won’t do that to you.”

“Good.” The other boy relaxed. “Knowing how reckless you are, I could never be too sure. You do need to take care of yourself more, you know.”

Kirito forced himself to laugh. “That sounds like something Asuna would say.”

“Asuna?” Eugeo frowned.

“Oh, right. We’re gonna meet her soon. She’s my, uh, my girlfriend. And we have an AI daughter. She’s named Yui, and uh, yeah.” Eugeo looked progressively scarier at each word and really, he was sorry for everything in Underworld where he lied his butt off and said he didn’t remember any family or girlfriend or anything but he was sorry and that counted, right? “I’m really sorry I didn’t tell you earlier!”

After a moment, Eugeo sighed and leaned back, muttering to himself. “…Well, that explains a lot of things. I expected as much, anyway. So I guess there was no chance in the first place…”

“Hello? Eugeo-kun, are you listening? You’re not going to kill me, yes?”

The frown faded and a light smile broke out on his partner’s face. “You’ll live, don’t be overdramatic.”

“I am the _least_ overdramatic person you’ll ever meet in your life.” He proclaimed proudly, and they laughed together, and it was just like old times. It was a different world, but they were together, and the rain had stopped to reveal soft sunlight and cool air and frankly, this was the best August he ever had. 

 

* * *

 

They went to buy an AmuSphere for Eugeo, because Kirito needed to show him off to his other friends _right away_ and _no, it can’t wait, don’t be silly_.

“How do you use it?” They sat at a coffee shop in the mall’s food court, coffee for him and tea for Eugeo as usual. Eugeo skimmed his eyes over the metal helmet, turning it over to inspect the back like a child scoping out a new toy. “I’ve seen these things from billboard advertisements and all, but I’ve never had one myself. My parents thought it was dangerous, apparently because of some incident a few years back.”

He didn’t know about the SAO Incident? Isn’t there a limit to being sheltered? Kirito thought, but decided they could leave that for later.

“Well, it can be used for a lot of things. You can record audio and video, send messages to other people, and other things. Mostly we just use it to play virtual games. You put it on your head, like so, and then say ‘Link Start’ to activate it. The thing about AmuSphere is that it doesn’t completely block out external stimuli, which was a shame, but they said it was for safety concerns. Personally I think they could maintain safety regulations without reducing the user experience, though I heard the AmuSphere 2 that’s scheduled to be released next year is going to improve on that feature, and – Eugeo-kun, are you listening to me?”

Eugeo was just staring at him, smiling a little. Definitely wasn’t listening. At Kirito’s petulant scowl, he finally recovered and laughed weakly.

“Um, yeah, I am. Link Start, right? Got it. So which game are we getting? Uh, I see Asuka Empire, Gun Gale Online –“

Kirito grabbed Eugeo’s shoulders and stared hard into his eyes. “No.”

“H-huh?”

“No.” Kirito must have had a scary look on his face, because Eugeo looked plenty scared. “We are _not_ going into that game.”

“Uh, yeah, okay, we won’t, just, uh, calm down.” He gingerly plucked Kirito’s hands off his shoulder, and this time Kirito let him. “Sheesh, you’re stronger than you look. Reminds me of Underworld.”

Now that reminded him of something. “So are you, actually. I thought you said you had poor health?”

“When I was young, yes. I had a few particularly bad asthma attacks as a child, which knocked me off the succession line in favor of my brothers. It got better, and by now I just sneeze a lot when there’s too much pollen in the air, but I don’t think my parents ever got over it. They insisted on homeschooling me and I was to let them know where I was at all times. I was still expected to practice kendo and archery, which is probably why I’m still in good health and my illness got much better, but, well, parents.”

“That’s nice. Big brother is jealous.” He joked, but a part of him was actually a little jealous. Childhood was always a difficult topic to think about, for him.

“Hey.” Eugeo reached over and grabbed his hand. “I know that look. I had another childhood, too, and that one…wasn’t so good. You…you were the one who freed me from that life, and I was grateful to you before, but after everything that’s happened, looking back, the time we spent together was like a dream happier than any childhood or any lifetime I could ever have had, and I…”

He faltered. Kirito waited, but Eugeo said nothing. His hands were trembling just slightly.

“…Eugeo?”

“…It’s nothing.” Eugeo wouldn’t look at him. “Anyway, what were we talking about? If not Gun Gale, then maybe Alfheim? Huh, a race system? Cait Sith, Leprechaun, Sylph…”

They were definitely not talking about that, but Kirito knew he wouldn’t get whatever it was out of Eugeo right now. Judging from that conversation, it was either something private or highly embarrassing, and Kirito was never one to probe. Only, it felt like what Eugeo was talking about concerned him somehow…

“Kirito?”

“Ah, yeah, what is it?”

“I’m thinking, maybe an Undine? I mostly just like the color, though…what do you think?”

Well, he could think about that later. “Yeah, you can do that. I became a Spriggan because I like the color too. Asuna is an Undine, so I’m sure she would be glad to help you out with the controls.”

Eugeo’s scowl deepened, for some reason, but he nodded. “Alright. So when am I meeting them?”

“How about tomorrow? If you’re free. School starts in the next three weeks, so we won’t be free after that.”

“School, huh…” Eugeo looked deep in thought. “What school do you go to?”

“I go to the SAO Survivor School. It was a school set up for survivors of this thing called the Sword Art Online Incident.” At Eugeo’s confused look, he continued. “Seriously, how do you not know about that? It should have been all over the news. Ten thousand players were trapped in a death game, so and so.”

“I seem to remember something like that happening, but I never knew the name of the game itself. …That said, Kirito, you sure have a tendency to get yourself into trouble.”

That was a pretty effective summary of his entire life. “You have no idea.”

 

* * *

 

“Now aren’t you cheerful today.” Sugu called out from her room as he ran out to open the door. “Eugeo again?”

“Yeah.” He yelled back. “What about it?”

“Nothing.” She replied, and then in a much smaller voice. “Better get out before I have to see you guys make out or something…”

He dismissed whatever nonsense she said as always and opened the door to Eugeo smiling at him. Actually, they wanted to go out today, but August had an agenda as always and it was raining harder than ever, so Kirito and Eugeo agreed to just hang out at Kirito’s place before they met up with his friends in ALO. Eugeo had someone to drive him, and there was no way Kirito was going to Chiyoda in this weather.

“Just admit you’re lazy.” Eugeo said with an exasperated smile as Kirito complained, during their tour around his house.

“It’s true.” He insisted. “So anyway, the kitchen’s just through here, as is the living room. There’s a bath and washroom to the left. Upstairs is my room and Suguha’s room, and you saw the pond and dojo outside.”

“It’s a lovely place.” Eugeo said. “I do want to check out the dojo, though.”

“Exactly like Alice, huh…” He smiled, but the smile quickly faded. They hadn’t discussed Alice. She had been Eugeo’s goal for upwards of ten years in Underworld, but now she wasn’t the Alice Eugeo had wanted. They had fought together for a brief time, but they might as well be strangers. In addition, the Eugeo right now had another lifetime of memories in addition to Underworld. He could not even begin to comprehend how complicated Eugeo felt at that.

As if Eugeo read his mind, he smiled softly. “You don’t have to worry about me and Alice. I know she’s a different person, and I…I’ve had my time with our Alice. We both have. It’s you and me from now on – like it always has been, right?”

Well, that was relieving to hear. It did feel like there was some deeper meaning he was not getting, but Kirito could not help but answer to those shining, hopeful green eyes.

“…Yeah. From now on, always.”

“…Yeah.” Eugeo coughed. “Well, that said, where’s the dojo?”

“Oh, this way.”

He led Eugeo outside, and they quickly ran through the heavy rain. Kirito shut the door behind him with a slam and they both slid down, their hair and sleeves dripping with rain. Eugeo was grinning, a little out of breath, and Kirito was aware of the same wide grin mirrored on his face. It had been a while since he had done that – just running with all he had got together with another person. Ever since he returned from Underworld. Eugeo must have thought the same as well.

Well, if they were going to do this, might as well make it fun. Kirito got up and stretched out a hand towards Eugeo, who was still sprawled out on the floor in a manner utterly unbecoming of someone in his position. Kirito felt like laughing at that. Imperial whatever or not, this was still Eugeo.

“That said, up you go, my prince.” He said and mock-bowed, all properly and gentlemanly like a retainer would. Usually, whenever he mentioned Eugeo’s status, his partner would laugh at him and tell him to cut it out already. This time, however, Eugeo looked away. His ears, half-hidden by his flaxen hair, were starting to turn pink.

“…I told you not to call me that.”

That was weird. Well, whatever. “It’s still pretty amazing though, to be honest. Woodcutter, and then Integrity Knight, and this. You’re moving up in the world. Big bro is proud of you.”

“That Integrity Knight business is something else…” Eugeo sighed, but took Kirito’s hands and got up.

“You ever imagine if we hadn’t cut down those assholes, we would have gone on to win the Four Empires Unity Tournament and become Integrity Knights?” Kirito said as they jogged over to the collection of shinai at the dojo’s furthest corner.

Eugeo looked at him, incredulous. “Where in the world do you get that confidence from? Who said we would graduate in first and second seat of the Academy? Not to mention win the Norlangarth Swordsmanship Tournament, and then we would have to pull off a draw in front of everyone in the Unity Tournament, and _then_ somehow convince Administrator to make us both Knights.”

It was amazing that Eugeo managed to remember all these pesky details. He could rival a nagging wife with that ability. “Well, I’m sure it would have worked out someway or other.”

Eugeo was giving him that look again. The look someone would give a particularly stupid pillbug. He’d been used to it in the two years they were together though, so Kirito shrugged it off. “Relax, Eugeo _Synthesis Thirty-two_ -kun. You were pretty cool back then.”

 _Haa…_ Eugeo sighed, and cracked a small smile. “Well then, Kirito _Synthesis Thirty-three_ -dono. Would you like to continue that duel we had in the Central Cathedral?”

“You’re on.”

 

* * *

 

Eugeo wiped the floor with him, not that Kirito would ever admit that. In the first place, Eugeo was cheating. In the real world, Kirito was hopelessly out of practice, while Eugeo had years of training from his upbringing.

“Don’t pout, it doesn’t suit you.” “Shut up.” So went their exchange as they walked up to Kirito’s room.

To be honest, Kirito’s room was nothing special. It was just a single bed, a desk, a bookshelf full of school textbooks, some reading material and technology magazines. Of course, the first thing Eugeo did was to rush straight for the bookshelf. He dismissed the magazines, which were probably incomprehensible to him, and started leafing through the books, while Kirito walked over to the bed and sat down.

“Feel free to borrow anything you like.” Kirito felt the need to say. “They’re just school reading materials though, Rashomon, some Miyazawa Kenji and the like.”

“Hm? Oh, no.” Eugeo absentmindedly replied. “I’ve read everything here. Our library has a huge collection and I’ve read all of it, so I doubt you’ll have something I haven’t at least glanced at. I just thought it was cute the way you dog-ear and doodle on some of it in here. It’s just like back then.”

“Hey, don’t go treating me like a kid.” Kirito complained, but he was actually a little concerned. It didn’t seem like Eugeo had any friends in his real life either. His life, as far as Kirito knew, was studying, reading, and then training, day after day. It was an endlessly monotonous life, crueler than a life as a woodcutter in Rulid. No wonder Eugeo would want out.

His heart burned at that. Even if Eugeo had left his village in Rulid and learned more about the world back in Underworld, he could not escape his fate in real life. It might just be Kirito’s savior complex talking, but he could not stand for a life where Eugeo just spent his days utterly alone, living something that could barely even be called a life at all. Maybe it would be possible somehow for Eugeo to leave – he did say he wanted to – and then go to a high school somewhere, go to college and at least enjoy life like a normal person. He might need to look up the Imperial Household Law later. If it were possible, Eugeo would need a last name, some sort of identity. Kirito wanted to return the favor of when he was able to write Rulid as his birthplace in Underworld, but his current last name was technically not even his. Maybe something like his previous name, ‘Narusaka’, if possible –

“Kirito, are you listening to me?” Eugeo’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

“Oh, uh, sorry. What is it?”

“I was saying that it’s almost time. To dive in ALO, that is.”

He glanced at the clock. It was almost three.

“Oh, alright. You have the AmuSphere?” Eugeo nodded.

“Then get over here and lie down on the bed.” Kirito patted the space next to him. “Since it’s your first time, we’ll dive in together from here so I can deal with any complications. Some people get headaches, and I’ve heard some particularly sensitive people get a slight nosebleed, since they aren’t used to the microwave transmitter. Either way, just come here.”

“…If I do get a nosebleed, it won’t be from that…” Eugeo stared at the space on the bed next to Kirito and muttered something, but walked over anyway.

“What was that?”

“Uh, nothing. Do I just put it on my head like this?”

“No, not like that. Here, I’ll do it.” Kirito hovered over Eugeo and adjusted the AmuSphere. Thank god they were alone right now. He didn’t want to explain this if his sister, or god forbid, Asuna, walked in on them. The thought made him aware of how this must look to another person, and Kirito blushed despite himself.

“W-well, that’s about it.” He pulled his hand back as if burned, praying that his frantic heartbeat wasn’t as loud as it seemed. “Just close your eyes and say ‘Link Start’. Just follow the game’s directions to create a character, and I’ll meet up with you when you’re done. Got it?”

“Okay. Link Start.” Eugeo said, and Kirito lay down on the bed shoulder to shoulder with him. It reminded him a little of Underworld, where they would sleep like this on their journey. It seemed like a long time ago, but he remembered how safe, and peaceful, this felt. Sometimes he thought that they would have been happier had they just stayed in that world.

With that melancholic thought, he said ‘Link Start’ as well, and the world was dyed in color.

 

* * *

 

He really did know too many Undines, Kirito thought as he stared into Eugeo’s shining blue eyes, sparing a glance at his fluffy blue hair and pointy ears. It was weird, but not a bad look on him.

“This doesn’t feel that bad.” Eugeo said after a bit. “I guess since I’ve had years of moving around in Underworld, but I don’t feel uncomfortable at all.”

“That’s good.” Kirito smiled. “Can you fly?”

“…Huh?”

It took a while to teach Eugeo not to lose control of his wings and crash-land every ten minutes, but somehow they managed to make it to Kirito’s log house. If only Eugeo would stop talking his ears off about how cool this feature was and how it reminded him of the science behind how birds fly, and did Kirito know that planes had the same wing structure where air passing over the top had to travel a longer distance and therefore created different pressures below and above the wings and – Kirito pretty much clocked out at that point. It was cute, though, and Kirito would be content with just sitting here and stare at Eugeo as he rambled on about absolute nonsense, but he was suddenly aware of eyes on him.

“Huh?” He looked around. With the exception of him and Eugeo, who were just sitting there with two cups of tea in front of them, everyone else was staring. “What are you guys looking at?”

“N-nothing.” Lisbeth was the first to speak up, fumbling a little. “Remind me, how long have you guys known each other?”

“What was that all of a sudden?” Kirito asked at the same time as Eugeo said. “Uh, ten years at first, and then he left for six years and came back, and then we were together for two years at a sword academy, so give or take twelve years.” For some reason, he was looking at Asuna when he said that.

“I see.” Asuna smiled, but her voice seemed just a smidge displeased. He wondered if she was in a bad mood today. “I apologize for my Kirito, he must have caused a lot of trouble for you.”

“Ah, no, it was no trouble at all.” Eugeo smiled, but it was the kind of smile Eugeo tended to have when something pissed him off as well. What was with people around him today… “Taking care of him was quite a handful though. He never wakes up easily in the morning, and he was rubbish at anything that didn’t involve waving a sword around. He always crammed for Sacred Arts exams the day before, and I would have to bring dinner back to him. He couldn’t cook worth a penny either.”

“Hey, uh, should we talk about something else? Like, anything else?” Kirito desperately begged, but it was like a switch had been turned on in Asuna and Eugeo.

“Right! He was always too spontaneous for his own good! Back when we were in Aincrad, I found him just sleeping in an area outside where he could easily be PKed – “

“He didn’t seem to understand the concept of a door at all – “

“He drinks coffee like it’s water or something – “

“Right!? It took a year for a master craftsman to forge his sword, and yet he didn’t even think to bring any money – “

Stacia-sama, if you exist, please save me. Kirito prayed, but it was no use. Stacia-sama was right there recounting the highlights of his embarrassment and trading stories with his partner. He had no other word to call this but a ‘living hell’.

However, a part of him felt happiness. It was rare to see Eugeo smile so much, surrounded by people who really looked at him as a person, and not some Imperial something-or-other or a commoner. After so long, his partner deserved happiness. And at that moment, as he watched his partner laughing without a care in the world and his heart started beating irrationally, Kirito swore to himself that, for Eugeo who had lived two lifetimes full of misfortune, he would find a way to free him and finally give him the happiness he deserved.

Sinon gave him a side-eye glance, but said nothing.

 

* * *

 

“So what do you think?” Kirito asked, a few days later. Eugeo had to go home right after that day in Alfheim, and his schedule didn’t allow him to go out in the next few days. But Kirito had looked up the Imperial Household Law, and maybe there was a way to do something so that Eugeo wouldn’t be restrained by all those rules anymore.

They were sitting at a table in an amusement park. This trip today was for both Alice and Eugeo, who had never been to an amusement park before. Alice had run off to buy some cotton candy, while Kirito and Eugeo declined and offered to stay back to watch her stuff.

“Hm? It’s a little bit crowded, but I love the general feeling of it. I don’t know how I would do with the rollercoaster though. I feel like I wouldn’t be a fan of high speed.”

“Ah, yeah, that’s good to know.” _So I could drag you on it later_ , Kirito didn’t say. “But I wanted to ask about a few days ago, in Alfheim. What did you think?”

“It’s – great.” Eugeo exhaled. “I was nervous at first, but they all seem to be kind people. They also seem to catch on really quick…” At this, Eugeo threw Kirito a side-glance.

“About what?”

“…Nothing. Anyway, I’m having a great time.” He smiled, and then exhaled. “You know, I never could have imagined, that the accident I had would change my life to such an extent. When I was a kid, I never really thought about my future. I never had much to expect, so I resigned my life to whatever that came my way. When I became a woodcutter in Underworld, I unconsciously thought ‘that’s right, this is how my life always has been’ as well. And then…you came, and suddenly I was able to meet many new people and experience new things, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am that you were there for me. In Underworld, and in the Real World as well.”

Well, there was nothing Kirito could say to that, so he kept quiet. He’d had an inkling, of course. However, it was a relief, and it made Kirito happy, to know that the Eugeo of the Real World was every bit the same person he had been in Underworld. He was honest, he was real, and there was no need to wonder what kind of person he really was. Eugeo was just Eugeo. The thought comforted him, and he smiled at Eugeo. The other boy coughed and turned away.

“So, ah, anyway, that aside…” Eugeo cleared his throat. “See, Sinon gave me her number and I was chatting with her yesterday on the AmuSphere, and she said something really interesting about Gun Gale Online –“

“We’re going on the rollercoaster.” Kirito abruptly stood up and declared. Eugeo, startled, nearly dropped his drink.

“Wait, uh, wha – wait, Kirito, stop, no, why are you so strong when it comes to stuff like this, stop dragging me – “

They went on the rollercoaster, bickering the entire time – or at least until they started the descent. Eugeo threw up his lunch while Kirito patted his back and laughed his butt off.

Three days later, Eugeo made a GGO account. He didn’t play the game for long, but the damage was already done. Kirito resolved to pull on Sinon’s tail next time he had the chance.

 

* * *

 

To be perfectly honest, when he first saw Eugeo on his doorstep that rainy day, Kirito had been deathly afraid.

This person was someone he had not known. There had been no guarantee that the Eugeo in real life would be the same one he had been together with all these years. The Imperial Family, really? He might as well be a stranger masquerading in the same face, with the same gentle smile and kind eyes. If the real person were not like the friend and partner he had known at all, Kirito did not think he could stomach the pain.

Three weeks later, however, Kirito was relieved that his suspicions were proven wrong.

“Slow down!” He might go deaf at this rate though, with how much Eugeo was screaming in his ears. “Are you crazy!?”

“Live a little, Eugeo-kun!” He yelled back gleefully. To be honest, he was just enjoying how flustered the other boy was getting. “Where did all your courage as a swordsman go?”

“That has absolutely nothing to do with th – aaaaaaahhh!! That was close, stop, slow down, watch where you’re going!”

Damn it, this was entertaining and all, but at the same time Eugeo was clawing _hard_ into his midriff. It was getting painful and ticklish and distracting, and at this rate if Kirito crashed for real it would totally be Eugeo’s fault. He made another deep swerve to avoid a car, and _owwwwww_ this guy had sharp nails. Kirito resisted the urge to wriggle – god knew how Eugeo would freak out at that.

“Kirito…” He sneaked a glance at the rearview mirror. Eugeo’s face had gone perfectly pale, as if all the blood had been drained out of him, and his voice had become as tiny and afraid as a child’s. “Kirito, please…”

Something about that desperate, small voice and that expression made his face heat up. Well, they were nearing the cafe anyway, so maybe he could be kind and slow down a little. Anything to stop the other boy’s desperate clawing into his back – that was a misunderstanding he definitely did not want to explain to Asuna. It didn’t feel that bad though.

“Alright, I’m slowing down.” He said in a gentle voice. “Relax and take a deep breath.”

“…Okay.” Eugeo’s grip on him relaxed.

In the three weeks that he had been reunited with his supposedly-from-another-world best friend and partner, Kirito had found out three things.

First, it did not matter if Eugeo was from the Real World or not, he did not know a single thing about the outside world. Having lived a sheltered life, he had barely gone further than the huge residence he called home, and any travel had been by car with an escort, or bodyguard, more like. Apparently it was a privilege – hindrance, as Eugeo called it – for recognized members of the family only. He hadn’t minded the occasional travel up until he found Kirito again; after that, he had taken every opportunity he could to escape his escort and get out of the house, which apparently perplexed his parents.

The second point, which was slightly related to that matter, was that Eugeo was planning on leaving that world altogether. He did not know where he could go, but apparently his family would help him set up something, give him an initial allowance so he could start a life outside.

“It’s like leaving Rulid Village all over again, right?” The flaxen-haired boy had said over coffee, just a week ago. Kirito still vividly remembered the sunlight reflecting off his green eyes that were full of hope. He had thought those eyes beautiful for a moment.

“This time, without a year of traveling on foot though.” They had laughed at that.

Third and finally, ever since Eugeo started coming around, everyone around Kirito started to give him these _looks_. Sure it had been fine at first, and he had a lot of fun showing his friend off to everyone, they got along well and et cetera, but along the way something weird happened. In fact, just two days ago, there had been a raid in ALO, and he had arrived with Eugeo. Eugeo and Asuna had said hi to each other as usual, but for some reason their smiles did not reach their eyes and there was a feeling of utter dread running up Kirito’s spine. It was weird. He told Sugu, who promptly declared that he was an idiot.

…Well, that aside, he could deal with all that business later. Today’s agenda, like always, was to enlighten Eugeo to all the wonders of the outside world – in other words, fast food and good desserts. For Eugeo who barely left his home, he probably had never had the experience of munching on a burger during a busy lunch, or enjoying a cheesecake in a quiet coffee shop while doing homework. Now that he thought about it, Eugeo’s childhood in Rulid seemed _less_ monotonous than his real one, which really said something. Clearly it now fell to Kirito, as a dependable big brother type, to teach him about all the good parts of the outside world. Out of a sense of duty and appreciation for a close friend, of course.

“That was mean of you, you know.” Eugeo hopped down the bike so fast he nearly tripped over himself, when they arrived. Great, now the poor guy had a complex about riding on motorbikes. “It was scary.”

“But fun, right?” Kirito grinned.

“…A little bit.” The other boy conceded, but his smile quickly turned back into a scowl. “But mostly it was scary! What would you do if we crashed? You’d end up in the hospital like that! Does this helmet really protect you? What if it doesn’t, and then something happened and I…lost you…”

Eugeo faltered off. For some reason, Kirito was aware that his heart was beating roughly fifty times faster.

“I, uh, I mean…You’re my only friend. I wouldn’t know what to do if you weren’t around.” He quickly said. “So stop being so reckless…is what I meant.”

Kirito slowly nodded. That made sense. That was all it was, so his heart should stop hammering already.

“…Yeah.”

“…”

“W-Well, let’s go in. Have you ever had a tres leches cake?”

“Hm?” Eugeo slightly tilted his head in confusion, the way he always did when Kirito mentioned something he did not know. It was one of his more adorable quirks and god, what was happening, his head must be going crazy to be thinking all these things.

“You’ll see. It might be a little too sweet, but that just mean it pairs really well with fruit and hot tea. Your favorites, right?”

“You know me.” Eugeo said, in a voice that was almost fond.

“Well, yeah, two years together would do that. What’s a friend for, right?” Kirito forged on, despite the strangeness he was sensing from this conversation. He was pretty sure that he was missing about two thirds of whatever was going on here, but if his intuition was right…

Eugeo’s shoulders trembled for the slightest second, his hair falling forward to shadow his eyes. Even so, purely on instinct, Kirito knew by heart the wretched expression that must be on the other boy’s face.

“...Yeah. You’re right.”

Eugeo looked up at him, his eyes now with a hint of determined resignation, and Kirito knew he was in trouble.

 

* * *

 

There was no one but them in Dicey Café. Agil was apparently out, said his lovely wife, and she too disappeared into the back room after telling them to just call for her if they needed anything. They picked a window table as always, and Kirito mostly stared blankly outside the window – pretty nice weather, for an August morning – while Eugeo went on about something-or-other.

The cake was great. Agil charged a pretty penny, but his food never disappointed. Kirito got a black coffee as usual, and told Eugeo to order whatever he liked. What was the point of that horrible experience at RATH if he couldn’t treat his partner to some good food?

...Right, about that. The cake was great. He wished he could say the same about his state of mind.

Whatever Sugu liked to say about him, Kirito wasn’t _that_ stupid. He generally had an idea when people liked him, mostly because it rarely happened until recently. Asuna had been a bit of an outlier, mostly since they had had their on and off moments. He had known about Lisbeth and Silica’s crushes on him back in SAO, so he had made sure to head them off. Sinon probably never had such ideas about him in the first place, so that was a comfort. Ronie he had made sure to treat like a younger sister, partly to avoid the same thing with Sugu happening again. Eugeo he had had an inkling about in the two years of Underworld and did nothing, and yeah, this was pretty much his own fault.

In Kirito’s defense, Eugeo had gone on and on about Alice, so he had figured that it had just been his imagination for once. A part of him had taken comfort in the fact that in this unfamiliar world, there had been someone who would accompany him, admire him, maybe even _like_ him, and he had allowed himself to return the sentiment. As much as Eugeo had looked up to him, Kirito had been the same way - he had looked up to his talents, efforts, and drive to improve himself. It was something the Kazuto of real life had never managed, and he had found himself wanting to reward that effort and help him get Alice back. In other words, he had just wanted to make Eugeo happy. Now that he really thought about it, it was so obvious that he wanted to slap himself.

… And then Eugeo had died. And then Kirito would have done anything - had nearly killed himself - just wishing to be able to see him once more. His wish had been granted, and now his flaxen-haired partner was here, in flesh and blood instead of in a mechanical body, and because Kirito had been stupid enough to let himself fall, now he was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

He had a girlfriend. And an AI daughter. Eugeo and Alice were barely more than acquaintances at this point. Eugeo had met Asuna, he had accepted the fact that Kirito had a girlfriend and they surprisingly got along, until...wait, that was why it had been weird last time, Sugu was right, he was a stupid idiot. If Asuna saw it, then everybody saw it. That was why everyone was giving him - and Eugeo - those looks.

“...Uuughh…” Kirito held his head in his hands, wishing the ground would just open up and swallow him already.

“Are you alright?” Eugeo asked in a concerned voice. If only he knew that he was the source of Kirito’s distress.

“Yeah, no problem.” He answered, not without a little sarcasm. “How’s the cake?”

“It’s great! I’ve never had something like this before. Normally it would be too sweet, but the tea and fruit on top help a lot. You said it was condensed milk, right? It does remind me of tiramisu somewhat, since it has the same soaked feel. You know, I’ve been thinking, what if instead of fruit on top you put some fruit juice in the mixture? It wouldn’t be so sweet then and…”

Ugh, that was cute. He had completely forgotten that Eugeo whenever he went on a rant about random stuff was cute. Best not mention anything about history, or Eugeo would spend the entire day talking about the Roman Conquest or something while Kirito would just stare at him like an idiot. In retrospect, he used to do exactly that in Underworld, and that happened three weeks ago in ALO...in front of everyone. What the hell. It was a wonder that Asuna hadn’t broken up with him yet, they were so obvious.

Asuna. God, what was he going to do about Asuna?

...Did he even need to do anything about Asuna? Eugeo had given up. The sad look on his face outside the cafe clearly said so. At this rate, things could just be the way they were. He would be happy with Asuna, and Eugeo...Eugeo would accept it and move on, even if Kirito would be breaking his heart. They could still be friends. They just...they just wouldn’t be something more. It would be horribly selfish of him, to refuse to choose and just let things run their course, but Kirigaya Kazuto was no brave hero. He was scared of a life without Asuna. He couldn’t live without her. Eugeo would understand.

He would understand, but he would be heartbroken, the last misfortune in a series of an unfortunate life. He would cry, alone by himself, and put on a brave face for Kirito. Something inside Kirito died at the thought, and that was when he knew he was already too far gone.

“Eugeo.” He reached over and took hold of Eugeo’s wrist. The fork fell out of his hands and clattered to the floor.

“…Huh?”

There was pretty much no turning back. He could not live without Asuna, but he would die to make Eugeo happy. He would have to break a promise to someone either way, and he had promised himself he would never, for whatever his life was worth, betray Eugeo.

“Eugeo. I…” It was harder to say it out loud than he thought. Eugeo seemed to realize what he wanted to say, since his beautiful green eyes hardened and his expression contorted.

He recognized that expression. The knowledge that hope would be futile, and yet Eugeo could not help himself because he so desperately wanted it to be real. He had seen that so many times over the past few weeks. How had he not noticed it earlier?

“Don’t. Don’t say it. Don’t do that to me.”

“…Okay, fine. I won’t.” Kirito said, and leaned forward.

Eugeo was right. The cake really was too sweet.

 

* * *

 

“You shouldn’t have done that.” It didn’t matter.

“I know.” He would do it again. He wanted to do it again.

“What are we going to do now?” ‘We’, he said. It really was just that simple.

“I’m going to tell Asuna.”

“And then…?”

A shrug. “I’ll die, I guess.”

“Overdramatic as always…” An exasperated laugh. For a second, Kirito really could pretend that everything was normal, and not…whatever it was right now. Even knowing that gods didn’t really exist in Underworld, Kirito couldn’t help but think some goddess of love had it out for him. He told this to Eugeo, who snorted. 

The ride home was silent. Kirito didn’t bother to speed up this time, and Eugeo stayed quiet while leaning his head on Kirito’s shoulder, watching the billboards and high-rise buildings pass him by. His even breaths tickled Kirito’s neck.

“You know…” Eugeo said in a quiet voice. “It’s fun riding a motorbike. I really could get used to this.”

“Is that so.” He replied. This was awkward. “It’s the wind on your skin, I think. A car doesn’t have the same feel.”

“…Yeah.” He said, and sighed. “All my life, I’ve always been on the inside looking out. For years of my real life, and in Underworld. I thought it was fine. I never felt the wind on my skin, or breathed the fresh air outside, or heard the sounds of people going about their daily life. And now that I know…it was almost overwhelming. It was hard to force myself to give it up.”

They weren’t talking about the wind any longer. Kirito knew that.

“You don’t have to give up. Just focus on what you want, and take it from there. Didn’t I use to tell you that all the time?”

“…Yeah, you did.” Eugeo smiled into his shoulder and closed his eyes. Kirito cleared his throat.

“Hey, I’ve been doing some research on it, and…” He swallowed. “You were planning to leave the family, right?”

“…Yeah. It was never for me in the first place, and I…I would much rather just become a normal person. It would be best if no one knew who I used to be. I’m done with titles like commoner and royalty, and them affecting how I’m treated.” Eugeo exhaled.

“Can your family give you another identity? Like, say, records of Eugeo something-or-other, born and grew up in Kawagoe, Saitama prefecture, and then transferred to SAO Survivor School, and graduated and went to college…something like that?”

“It might be possible. But why…”

“Well, I’ve been thinking, and.” He quickly said. His heart was probably beating just as fast. “If you need an identity, and a last name, I might have one. My last name before I was adopted by my aunt, was Narusaka. The Narusaka family is all but gone now, and I’ve always felt somewhat sad about it. If you could take up that name, even if we weren’t related by blood, at least…well, I could hardly think of anyone else I would entrust with that name more than you, and later on, maybe… If you’re okay with it, of course.”

He was aware that this, too, was a grand sort of promise. He was crossing some sort of boundary by saying this. However, wasn’t this what they had always done? For the two of them, who had gone past the Edge Mountains, cut down a demon tree, became Elite Swordsmen and defeated the Axiom Church against all odds, this was simply another impossible challenge to overcome together.

“…I think it’s a great idea.” Eugeo finally said, his voice wet with tears. “I’ll talk to my parents about it. It’ll take some convincing, but as you said, I’m sure it’ll work out someway or other. …Thank you, Kirito.”

“You’re welcome.” He told him.

Eugeo reached up, his hands trembling on Kirito’s shoulders, and whispered into his ear. “…And, also, there’s something I have to tell you no matter what. Kirito, I…”

To everyone else but the two of them, the soft whisper was lost in the whipping winds, just another sound in the cacophony of Tokyo’s daily life.

**Author's Note:**

> Write a love story (?) without actually saying the word love in nearly 9k words - crossed off bucket list. I swear, I checked. Also, Kirito is a dumbass, I love him. I didn't have any space in the other note, but title for this fic was based on the song Hazy Shade of Winter. I loved it from Umbrella Academy. There's no connection to the song itself though. 
> 
> Either way, it was fun! Though I thought it was a bit of a rushed thing. I could have steamed it further and added more, but then I might have grown to hate it like I did The Art Of Letting Go. I just had a plot bunny that I had to write out no matter what, and if other people enjoy it, all the better. Thank you for reading!


End file.
